"If we want to protect housing supply, we have to keep good landlords in the sector"
- Leigh Young - Elliot Leigh
Elliot Leigh has expanded its guaranteed rent partnerships as local authorities across the UK grapple with rising homelessness and the escalating cost of temporary accommodation.
Over the past year, the housing provider added eight new council partners, including Southwark, Lambeth, Medway and Buckinghamshire. That growth brings the total number of local authority partnerships to 30, reflecting mounting demand for alternatives to nightly paid accommodation.
Councils face increasing pressure as the scale and cost of temporary accommodation continue to rise. According to House of Commons Library data, more than 104,000 households now live in temporary accommodation in England, marking a 90% increase over the past decade. National spending has climbed to £2.8 billion, driven largely by heavier use of hotels, B&Bs and other short-term emergency housing.
“We are seeing unprecedented demand from local authorities looking for sustainable alternatives to costly and often unsuitable emergency placements,” said Leigh Young, director at Elliot Leigh (pictured). “Our model is designed to provide value for councils while delivering safe, compliant housing and protecting the well-being of families at risk of homelessness.”
The company’s expansion coincided with a sharp increase in housing provision. During 2025, Elliot Leigh lifted the number of properties supplied to local authority housing schemes by 93%, responding to growing demand for stable, longer-term options. It also moved into new areas such as Buckinghamshire, Luton, Medway and West London, targeting boroughs facing acute shortages of available housing stock.
Elliot Leigh’s guaranteed rent approach centres on working directly with landlords, pairing fixed rental income with full property management and compliance oversight. Homes are typically secured at or below market rates, helping councils manage budgets while ensuring safety and legal standards are met.
Key features of the model include:
councils only pay when a property is occupied, easing budget pressure;
tenants are not tied into inflexible contracts, allowing greater mobility;
regular inspections to maintain housing quality and tenant welfare.
“Our focus is on supporting councils to meet their housing duties in a system under enormous pressure,” Young explained. “By offering reliable alternatives to nightly paid placements, we are helping to keep families closer to their communities and improve long-term outcomes.”
The need for such partnerships is becoming more pronounced as councils contend with frozen housing benefit rates alongside rising private rents. For many authorities, guaranteed rent schemes now offer a more predictable and cost-effective route than repeated use of emergency accommodation, while still providing households with secure homes.
However, a persistent challenge remains the shrinking supply of suitable properties. Rising costs and regulatory change have pushed some landlords out of the sector, tightening availability and increasing reliance on expensive short-term solutions.
“If we want to protect housing supply, we have to keep good landlords in the sector,” Young said. “By offering secure tenancies, guaranteed rent and returning properties in the same condition, we help landlords stay invested, which ultimately helps councils house the people who need it most.”
